CultureFest! is a popular program for families, intended to introduce visitors to traditions, practices, and art from the regions of the world represented in the Museum’s collection. This program is held several times a year, in October, January, and March. On January 21, CultureFest! celebrated the Lunar New Year, featuring performances and artistic demonstrations from two important community partners, the American Chinese Museum and Northeast Academy of Philadelphia. Jennifer Brehm, Merle Smith Director of Learning and Community Engagement, sat down with Li Edwards, Executive Director of the American Chinese Museum, a brand-new museum in Philadelphia dedicated to the history of the Chinese American experience. They talked about their CultureFest! partnership, and what the public can learn about Chinese culture to increase mutual understanding within the community.
JB: Can you tell me about the American Chinese Museum and how the organization got started?
LE: This museum has been planned for years, and just opened in 2022. It was created by Jason Lam, the President and Chairman of the Museum. He wanted to establish this museum for several reasons; first, because there are many Chinese people that moved to Philadelphia in recent years, and there is a need for a cultural center for Chinese American people. Second, because there have been many hate crimes against Asian people recently, both across this country and in Philadelphia. He and the board members wanted this museum to connect people of different ethnic groups to create mutual understanding and respect, and to promote friendship between Chinese American people and other ethnic groups. Philadelphia is an important city in American history, and the Chinese American experience is part of America. We think Philadelphia should also have a museum dedicated to Chinese American history, art, and culture.
JB: What is your role in the organization?
LE: I help board members and the founder to raise funds for the museum and to apply funding from organizations like foundations and government agencies. I also design programs and projects, plan marketing strategies to promote this museum, and attract support from the public.
JB: What is the mission of the American Chinese Museum and what do you hope the public can learn from you?
LE: Our mission is to promote America’s diverse cultural heritage by collecting, preserving, and sharing American Chinese history, culture, and art; to serve as a center for research and learning; and to inspire and connect audiences with American Chinese experiences, with the goal of promoting mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual learning between people of all backgrounds. We want the public to learn more about Chinese American history. As you know, the Chinese in America helped connect the nation through their work on the country’s first transcontinental railroad. We hope to make new connections at the museum.
Museum Object Number(s): 30-12-702
We also want the public to learn more Chinese American traditions, because we think they are a part of America’s diverse cultural heritage. We think we can use the power of culture and art to better communicate with the public.
JB: I like the idea of using the power of culture and art to oFFset the negative behavior that comes with misunderstanding amongst cultures. Why do you think it is important to learn about Chinese cultural traditions?
LE: Chinese culture has a long history and tradition and has made great contributions to world culture. Learning about Chinese culture can help broaden your view of the world, because it has had great influence in the East, and many Asian cultures came from or were influenced by Chinese culture. It serves as a window into the Eastern world.
JB: Can you describe one activity that you did during Penn Museum’s CultureFest?
LE: In order to introduce Chinese Lunar New Year to the public, we explained the Chinese spring festival, which is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and cycles of the moon, unlike the western solar calendar. Visitors learned about the tradition of decorating our houses for the festival, including papercutting, a folk art in China. Visitors learned how to cut red paper and how to make red lanterns. We also brought dancers, singers, and musicians to perform Chinese traditional dance and music.
We worked with our partner, the Northeast Academy of Philadelphia. They brought their resources and we worked together with them to bring these traditions to the public at the Penn Museum.
JB: Do you have a favorite artifact from the Penn Museum, and why is it of interest to you?
LE: I like the artifact called the Ram in the Thicket. It is from the Tombs of Ur, and very beautiful; there are only two in the world, and one is in Penn Museum. I was born in the Year of the Ram. There are 12 animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac, including mouse, tiger, and ram; these signs repeat every 12 years. When our year comes, we wear something with our animal sign. I will wear something with the Ram on it when it is my year.
JB: What excites you about being a community partner with the Penn Museum?
LE: You are a very influential organization both locally and globally, with many experts conducting archaeological research, and your collection contains many lovely artifacts found by your own teams. We have a great respect for how you transform the understanding of the human experience.
I appreciate our partnership; we can learn so much from you. I like how our missions are aligned in promoting mutual understanding between cultures.
Jennifer Brehm is Merle-Smith Director of Learning and Community Engagement; Li Edwards is the Executive Director of the American Chinese Museum in Philadelphia and a member of the Penn Museum’s new Community Advisory Group (see page 100). For more information about the American Chinese Museum, visit their website at https://usaacm.org/